Direction-indicator.



E. A, COLNOT.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

:wmcmmw FILED NOV. i6 gen.

1 288;,5 1 3 a Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

anion.

ERIC A. CQLNOT. CINCINNATI, QEIO.

nmiiorron-rnnrcaron,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Kovember 1G, H313. Serial Ho. 202,323.

- To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be itknown that 1, ERIC A. Connor, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati. in the county of Hamilton and State otOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signals, and its object is to provide means whereby the intended direction of a conveyance, especially an automobile, may be indicated either at the frontend of the conveyance for the benefit of conveyances approaching in the opposite direction, or of pedestrians, or to facilitate traffic by notifying trafiic otiicers of the intended direction so that they may grant the right of way more readily; or atthe rear of the conveyance to indicate an intended change of direction to the drivers of conveyances following, so that rear end collisions may be prevented. The special object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which will be extremely simple, both in construction and in opera tion, so that it will be inexpensive to manufacture and install and may be operated with very little inconvenience to the driver of the vehicle.

My invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter bemore fully described and claimed.

1n the drawing:

Figure l is a general perspective view of part of automobile equipped with my inventiofias I prefer to construct it;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the signalbox with the back removed to reveal the interior construction, and with the lower part of the support broken away;

3 is a vertical cross-section on a plane, corresponding to the .line 3-3 0" Fig. 2, but with the back of the box in place; and

Fig. 4: is a attachment. f

The signal-box comprises a major middle part 1 with its upper and lower sides paraldiagram showing the wiring lel, and triangularend parts 2. The front side of this box is open except for a flange 3 turned in from the walls of its part 1 and its end parts 2. Thus, the front side of the box presents an opening with pointed ends to the right and to the lett respectively. A glass plate at fits forwardly against this flange 3, and preferably, this plate 4 has one of its sides roughened as indicated in Fig. 3, so that it is merely translucent. It will be understood that any other kind of transparent material may be used and that the plate may be transparent or translucent, although glass plate is preferred.

Fitting inside of the main part 1 of the signalhox is the lamp-box 5 of rectangular formation with upper and lower sides paralthe translucent lel with the upper and lower sides of the main part 1, but slightly spaced apart from said sides of said main part, and having ends 6 that extend across the signal-box about where the triangular parts 2 join the main part 1. The front of the lamp-box made up of upper and lower plates '4' and 8 with their lower and upper edges, respectively,

parallel and spread some distance apart, so that a rather wide slit 9 left in the front of the lamp-box. 7 and 8 extend past tho'ends i a short distance at their adjacent sides and have their ends 10 and 11 inclined toward the middle of the structure upwardly and downwardly to the respective corners of the lamp-box.

Insulating bushings 12- are tired in the ends 6 and hold small electric lamps 13 inside the triangular parts 2. Fixed on the bottom of the lamp-box and spaced upwardly therefrom is a base plate 14 that supports a socket 15 holding a small electric lamp 16 midway of the length of the lampboX and on a level with the slit 9 inthe front thereof.

The front sides of the plates 7 and 8 of the lamp-hox-fit snugly against the rear side of the glass plate 4, and a back 17 with a forwardly t u'ned flange 18 all around it fitting; snug y inside of the sign-al t-tween the adjacent walls of said Preferably, these plates Patented Dec. 34, 191B.

signal-box and the lamp box at the top and bottom holds the lamp-box tor-ward against said glass plate. Thus, with the back 1t I I suitably secured in the signal-box, the interior structure is held in place. Preferably, a sheet of insulating material 19 fits inside the back of the lamp-box between the back 17 and the lamp mountings.

A tubular support 20 has its upper end fixed in the bottom of the signal-box midway of the length thereof and about mid- Xvay from the front to the rear thereof While the lamp-box has an opening 21 in. its bottom registering with the upper end of said support 20 which opens through the-bottom of the signal-box. As here shown, this support 20 extends downward and then forward and is fixed to suitable clamping means 22 (Fig. 1) 'by means of which. it is clamped around the neck of the radiator. of the automobile, and thus supports the signal-box somewhat above and to the rear of thefront end of the engine-hoodof the automobile where it is in plain VIEW to any one in front of or at a considerable distance either side of the automobile.

The controlling switch 23 as here shown,

and 25 may be simple push buttons and their relation to the battery and to the lamps 13 and 16 is readily understood by inspecting the diagram in Fig. l. Thus. it will be seen that a conductor 28 leads from one terminal of the battery to the terminals of both push buttons 24 and 25, and another conductor 29 leads from another terminal, of the battery to one-of the terminals of the middle lamp 16. From the otherterminal of the push button 2 1, a conductor 30 leads to one of the 1 terminals of the lainp 13 at one end of the signal-box and from the other terminal of the other push button 25 another terminal. 31 leads to one of the terminals'of the lamp 13v at the other end of the signal-box. The

remaining terminals of both lamps 13 and the lamp 16 are all connected together by a conductor 32. Thus, if the push button 2% is depressed, the conductors'28 and 30 are connected and current flows from the battery through the conductor28, button :24, con ductor 30, left-hand lamp 13, conductor 32, middle lamp 16 and co'nductor29 back to the battery. If the push button is de pressed, the current Hows from the battery through the conductor button. 2-3, conters Patent is:

ductor 31, right-hand lamp 13, conductor 32, middle lamp 16 and conductor 29 backto the battery. I

ll'ith' the construction and electrical con nections just described, it Will be seen that the signal-box has three distinct compurtnients, each having its lamp a ml each 'havin an opening to the translucent frontflrof the signal-box. The opening of the middle compartment is the long horizontal slit 9 and the openingof each end compartment is in the shape of an arrow-head pointing to the left or right, as. the case may be. The slit 9 is adapted to form the shank of the arrow pointing in either direction. It is for this reason that the middle lamp'lfi is always lighted Whilethe end lamps 13 are lighted alternatively, as will be understood from the description just given:

Thus, the driver of the vehicle grasping the rim of the steering-Wheel has ivithin reach ofhis thumb either one of the buttons 24: or 25. By pressing one button, there 18 formed at the front-of the signal-box an illuminated arrow as seen in Fig. 1, and by pressing the other button, such an arrow is produced pointing in the opposite direction,

as faintly indicated by the dotted lines at the right Preferably, the glass plate 4: is colored red, as indicated in Fig. 1. Also. preferably the signal-b0 has apertures with red glass plates 33, affording side markers for the conveyance.

It Will be understood that the signaLbox may be mounted on the rear of the vehicle in any Well-known manner and operated bv the push buttons on the steering-Wheel as just described,-'or signal-boxes mav be provided at both front and rear and suitably connected to the push lugs-heel for simultaneous operation.

It will also be understood that my-invention is applicable to conveyances other than automobiles, such as other land vehicles, as well as boats and the like.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- In a direction indicator, a signal box with an open back and comprising closed upper andlower' sides and closed ends, and a frbnt having an aperture with tapering ends at opposite sides of said front, a light-trans nnttmg plate against the inner side of said buttons on the steer-- front across said aperture, a lamp-box inside said signal-box, with an open back. and comprising ends forming partitions defining spaces adjacentto the respective taperinn ends of said aperture, and comprising front having a transverse aperture about midway of its height, and bearing a ainst said light-transmitting plate, a lamb secured t o said lamp box inside thereof, [amps mounted on the respective ends of said 'lamp-bcx, in said spaces, adjacent sides of tions, and whereby, when said back is resaid signal-box and said lamp-box having moved, said lamp-box and said lamps are 10 registering openings, electrical conductors 'collectiw'ely removable. from said signal-box. leadin from said lamps out through sai openhfgggnda back fitting in the open back v ER'IG COLNOT of said slgnal box, against'said lamp box, Witnesses:

whereby said back holds'said lamp-box and CLARENCE PERpEw,

said light transmitting plate in their posi- IRENE PARKER. 

